Considering the fact that both parts of our story are practically world-wide in their distribution, it is almost impossible to say where and when the two in combination first existed. I am inclined to think, on the whole, that our Filipino folk-tale is an importation, and is not native. As to the relationship between the popular and the literary versions of the story, I believe that in general the literary has been derived from the popular.
[1] Chupa, a measure, equal roughly to about four handfuls of raw rice.
[2] Camotes, sweet potatoes.
[3] Mongo, a variety of legume slightly smaller than the lentil (same as mungo).
[4] This episode is found in a Tagalog folk-tale collected by Gardner (JAFL 20 : 304). This folk-tale, it might be noted, is based directly on a corrido, The Story of the Life of Doña Maria of Murcia, Manila, 1909. The romance has been printed in Pampango and Tagalog. Retana (No. 4166) mentions an edition between 1860 and 1898, and one dated 1901 (No. 4307).
[5] I have the text and a complete English paraphrase of a Tagalog metrical romance which combines incidents from this story with incidents from “The Adarna Bird” (supra). The romance is entitled “The Story of the Life of King Don Luis, his Three Sons, and Queen Mora. Manila 1906.” Retana (Nos. 4190, 4362) cites editions 1860–98 and 1902. This story contains the quest for the water of healing, the two hermits, the flight on the eagle’s back, the sleeping enchanted queen, the stolen favor and the theft of the slipper, the ransoming of the two older brothers, their treachery, the hero disguised as servant in his father’s palace, the invasion by the magic queen and her recovery of her lover the hero. This story is closely related to Groome No. 55. Compare also Groome’s summary of Vernaleken’s Austrian story of the “Accursed Garden” (p. 232), which in some respects resembles this Filipino romance more closely than does the Gypsy tale.
Juan and His Adventures.
Narrated by José Ma. Katigbak, a Tagalog from Lipa, Batangas. He heard the story from Angel Reyes, another Batangueño.
Once in a certain village there lived a couple who had three daughters. This family was very poor at first. Near the foot of a mountain was growing a tree with large white leaves.[1] Pedro the father earned their living by selling the leaves of that tree. In time he got so much money from them that he a ordered a large house to be built. Then they left their old home, and went to live in the new house. The father kept on selling the leaves. After a year he decided to cut down the tree, so that he could sell it all at once and get much money. So he went to the foot of the mountain one day, and cut the tree down. As soon as the trunk had crashed to the ground, a large snake came out from the stump. Now, this snake was an enchanter, and was the friend of the kings of the lions, eagles, and fishes, as we shall see.